The Torment

The thing was almost as hideous as the Crusher. This one had long, strong legs and slender arms that ended in wide, enormous hands, in contrast to the Crusher's gigantic arms and hulking chest. Its head was smaller, but its face, with its sharp teeth protruding from its mouth, was a twisted nightmare.

"Pay attention to the fire!" They were brought back to reality by Calvin's yell. Raymond gaped at the beast as it lunged a kick, but he was able to sidestep it with ease thanks to his HHD-enhanced agility, surpassing its sluggish strike by a wide margin.

From their dispersed locations, they opened fire in torrents. Bullets hit the creature's back close to the neck, causing it to turn to face one of the two soldiers and howl in pain. It kicked him sweepingly, sending him tumbling against the base of the billboard with a terrible thud.

"Don't stop!" Calvin roared.

The second soldier paused, stunned by the sight of the creature in front of him, but Leopold and Raymond continued their attack. Despite their attempts to detour it, the beast closed in. The soldier fell on his back, and the beast trampled down mercilessly, crushing his lower abdomen and legs. In the midst of his agony, they watched in terror as he yelled and blood spurted from his mouth. The thing then moved aside and kicked one last time, sending his mangled body flying off the roof and landing several floors below with a trail of blood arcing through the air.

“Raymond! Leopold!” Calvin yelled. "We must deal with this and wait for a rescue crew; we cannot allow this to frighten us!"

"Einstein, how do you think we'll make it for a minute?" Leopold shot back, his voice laced with panic.

"You two manage to escape from this roof," Raymond remarked. "I'm the safest option to keep it busy because I'm the only one who can avoid its attacks."

Calvin and Leopold both said, "Roger," simultaneously.

Speed was crucial, but they had no idea what to do next. As they snuck passed the creature's blind side undetected, Raymond attracted its attention with a barrage of gunfire. They searched for a way out, but Raymond's attention was diverted by the monster. It appeared to be as dim-witted as the Crusher, focusing only on Raymond and completely disregarding Calvin and Leopold.

Avoiding its slow blows was easy at first, but over time it started to predict his next move. Raymond jumped backward to dodge it when it pushed a leg at him, but it turned to face him and grabbed him with its broad hands. Even though those arms looked weak, they lifted him as though he were weightless.

It slammed its sharp, distorted fangs into his right shoulder and jerked him toward its maw. As they tore through muscle and flesh, the pain was unbearable. But in a matter of seconds, his metamorphosis began, and a sword sprang from his left arm. He swung it at the beast, piercing its lung in desperation. He attempted to cut through its ribcage to deepen the wound once it released his shoulder, but his attempt was unsuccessful.

He then understood that its bones were as hard as steel and that he would need to use more effort to cut further. The beast threw him to the ground before he could plan. He glanced at Calvin and Leopold, who were now shooting at one of the billboard's supports, as it jerked slightly from the wound.

"Raymond!" Observing his change in concentration, Calvin yelled. "Assist!"

Puzzled, he inspected the support and then peered past it. A nearby structure, almost as tall as theirs, loomed on that side, its roof rimmed with wire fence to keep anyone from falling. He recognized their strategy and took advantage of the opportunity to rush at the support and cut it with his blade. The billboard fell, creating a dangerous bridge as it struck the fences on the roof next to it.

"Go now!" Calvin shouted. "Grab that soldier, Leopold; he's alive but unconscious. Raymond, do you get—Raymond?

His comments were hardly heard. Raymond's eyes had focused on what he believed to be the soldier's body after it had been kicked and smashed off the roof. He was unable to be sure since the human flesh had changed into that luminous crimson material exactly like it had before.

"What is he doing?" Leopold let out a bark.

"Just cross the border!" Calvin gave the order. "Raymond!"

Here, Raymond's memory becomes hazy. He went into a trance at the sight of that stuff. He was pulled inexorably toward it by the combination of its strength and the disgusting flavor he had already tasted. Unconsciously, he knelt down and lifted a piece toward his mouth with his right hand.

His mind resisted clarity as it swirled with disjointed ideas and ephemeral visions. Recalling his determination to avoid turning into a monster that ate flesh, he summoned the strength to break the enchantment.

"Raymond! Be careful! Calvin sobbed.

When he turned back, he saw the beast's leg flying in his direction. He instinctively blocked it with his bladed left arm. Its foot, barefoot and unarmored, gently pushed him back a few feet, surviving the razor-sharp edge.

He backed away to get a better look, but the material was still gripped tightly. In an attempt to blind the beast, he threw it at its face. The gambit was successful; with its leg extended, it was unable to move as the goo splashed into its eyes, causing it to go on a crazy rampage across the rooftop.

"This is your opportunity!" As he crossed the billboard, Calvin yelled.

Dashing over the makeshift bridge, Raymond did the same. He looked back to see the beast wiping its eyes clean on the nearby roof.

"Take action right now!" The unconscious soldier slung over Leopold's shoulders as he screamed.

Calvin set off the bomb by pressing a button on his gadget. The building beneath them collapsed as the anticipated explosion occurred. They were knocked off their feet by the blast, and Raymond watched as the beast lost its balance and staggered.

It was too late. It was unable to jump to safety as they had previously witnessed it do as the structure collapsed. The billboard, the beast, and the structure all fell in a heap to the ground.

"What was that?" Leopold shoved Raymond with his free shoulder and yelled. "Why in the world were you back there? Those zombies have better eyes than you had!

"Calm down, Leopold," Calvin replied, turning off Raymond's scent emitter. "There's no need to panic; I've tested Raymond enough to know he won't become one of those things."

“But—”

Calvin interrupted, "We need aid for the time being." "Let's inside, tend to our injuries, and summon more help. He continued, "Please take him in," and motioned for Leopold to carry the wounded soldier.

Raymond was unable to look away from the dust cloud rising from the debris, so Leopold suppressed his inclination to chastise him further. Something strange stirred inside him. Was it because the substance was rejected? No, he was aware that it wasn't. Upon recognizing it, he spun around and yelled, "Get inside now!" to them.

Something shot up into the air from the dust. The figure dropped with a startling thud, throwing Raymond to the ground as a hand came out, grabbing the edge of the roof. They had assumed the thing was dead, but now it was lifting him back up.

Raymond's mind eased a little as he caught a glimpse of Calvin and Leopold running into the building. However, his situation remained severe. The beast dropped him from a height and charged its leg after adapting. He received the entire force of the kick, helpless, and crashed against the wire fence after flying across the roof.

The beast, undeterred, charged again in a wild rage, but the fence held under his momentum—a lucky break. It kicked him again before he could respond, knocking the barrier over.

Raymond teetered on the brink of death, and terror took hold of him. He gripped the fence desperately with his right hand. Its base held miraculously, dangling perilously and swinging him like a pendulum. Stunned, he looked up to see the beast seething and glaring down. It lunged for a last hit, aiming for the roof's surface to knock the fence from its moorings and send him flying.

Raymond weighed his options in panic. He looked at the glass walls of the building. He had no time to spare, and as the beast readied its blow, he swung toward them. Despite his lack of propulsion, he pushed his bladed arm forward as he got closer to the glass, hoping it would break and allow him to enter. The glass gave way just before the roof above collapsed, and to his surprise, it did.

He gathered his breath safely inside and looked about. He looked at the huge hole, now covered in dust, from deep within the floor. Before long, the creature's shadow appeared inside it, peering to verify his death. As he stared, his heart raced, stiff with the worry that it may reach his level. However, it roared in triumph and turned away after a moment.

Raymond felt a moment of relief, but he was unable to stop. Seizing the opportunity, he climbed back to the roof and faced the creature's back using the debris as footholds. Sensing a sound, it twitched, but he jumped on top of it and grabbed its neck before it could turn. He straightened himself, placing his blade at the base of the beast's neck while holding onto its chin with his other hand as it flailed, attempting to shake him off.

"Just pass away now!" With his right hand tugging its head back and his left cutting, Raymond let out a howl.

As he plummeted and watched its severed head swirl into the air, time seemed to slow. Pain jolted through him when he struck the roof, but he didn't take his eyes off the head as it fell, jaws wide, only a few feet away.

He turned his attention to the body, which thrashed like a bird without a head, its broad hands futilely scratching at its gushing neck. There was a stream of blood. Before long, its limbs were drooping inertly, and the body fell off the splintered edge and bounced to the ground below the destroyed building.

The body splattered like water as it plummeted, dissolving into the same purplish liquid as the Crusher before it had even touched down. Unaffected by the explosion, zombies on the streets writhed in pain and melted into the same material as a result of the effect.

Raymond was stunned and turned to the head, which also decomposed, signaling the end of the ordeal.